Potter News
by Viviane Carstairs
Summary: Scorpius can't figure out why he's so mad at Albus. Albus/Scorpius one shot.


**A/N: I consider the Potters to be Weasleys. Like the Ponds in Doctor Who.**

Albus brought his bag over to the small couch where Scorpius was sitting. He nudged Scorpius to get him to make space and sat down. The couch was small enough that their shoulders brushed together. Once Albus had deployed his books and papers, Scorpius was trapped. He pointed this out to his best friend who pretended not to hear anything.

"How wonderful," Scorpius muttered. He adjusted his position, making sure to elbow Albus' arm, and returned his attention to his book. He had left off at the point where Gandalf arrives. A minute later, he was still trying to understand the same paragraph. He felt a fluttering in his throat when he realized that Albus' arm was his distraction. Whenever one of the two friends moved, their arms would bump together, scattering Scorpius' thoughts.

He convinced himself it meant nothing, something he was getting used to doing, and doubled his concentration on his novel. Reading was slower than it should have been, but at least he was getting somewhere in the story. By the bottom of the page however, his attention slipped once again. A sixth year, barely a year older than Scorpius, was standing in front of them with her arms crossed. Scorpius sighed while to his right Albus looked up.

"Al," said the girl, elongating the L in his name. "There are rumours going around school." Scorpius rolled his eyes. He gave up on his book and looked up in time to see her eyebrows rise. "Is it true what people are saying?" She had a respectable talent for looking innocent.

Scorpius opened his mouth to talk back, but Albus beat him to it. "Which rumour? There's way too many to keep track of."

The girl hesitated, brushing a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "Some people are saying that you're... gay."

"Cool!" said Albus. "Finally they're talking about the fun stuff. Yes, I am into having sex with guys."

Scorpius suppressed a laugh when he saw her try to control her shocked expression. This wasn't the first time Albus had dealt with nosy people that way, yet it never ceased to be hilarious. Though that answer was only reserved for strangers sticking their nose in other people's business. When speaking to a friend or family member, Albus was kinder and more gentle than Scorpius could ever fathom being.

Albus poked Scorpius on the arm, his way of 'popping Scorpius' bubble' as he called it. He turned his head toward his friend who was smirking. "Does Potter news always spread this fast?"

Scorpius closed his book and put it on the ground while rolling his eyes. Al always told him his eyes would stick to his brains if he kept rolling them. His mother said much the same. Though he couldn't be too annoyed at Albus for being proud of his fame, because that question had opened up an opportunity to ask more. There was one particular point Scorpius had wanted to talk to his friend about.

"I found it a bit slow this time, to tell you the truth, seeing as it took a day to get to me," Scorpius said pointedly. Albus had the decency to look guilty. He turned his gaze down and bit his lip.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Scorpius asked. "Why only in fifth year?" He had lowered his voice to prevent being overheard but he might as well have been shouting by the way Albus was cringing.

"I wasn't ready for everyone to know before," Albus said, nearly whispering.

Scorpius threw his hands up. "I don't care about everyone else. I wish you could have told me though. You know I wouldn't have told others. I hope you know I wouldn't have judged you. It doesn't bother me that you're gay. I..."

Albus stared at his hands that were clenched over his stomach. "Let's get out of the common room. I don't want this conversation to be on Potter news," he mumbled.

Scorpius practically threw Albus' books onto the ground and pulled Albus off the couch and out of the common room. The dungeon corridor was drafty and humid from the rainy November weather outside. The empty classroom they found was worse on account of it being in disuse.

Scorpius crossed the room to where there was a second door. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked. Failing to be satisfied, he took out his wand and said, " _muffliato_ ," a spell Albus had taught him. He returned to lock the door they had entered through, locked it, and used the spell again. When he turned around, Albus was perched on a desk in the center, watching his feet swing. His hands writhed on his lap. Scorpius joined him, leaning on the desk in front of him and crossing his arms.

Seeing Albus so distressed gripped Scorpius' heart, all the more since it was his fault. Usually he was the one comforting Albus; he had been for four years. Being the person inflicting pain on him felt like he was betraying the one he cared about most.

"I wanted to tell you, but it was hard," Albus said.

They were silent for a while. Albus' feet had stopped moving, but his hands were still fidgeting. A lock of messy black hair hung in front of his eyes. Scorpius couldn't help continuing his interrogation although it hurt to do so.

"And when you did come out, why did I hear it from Violet?"

"Well, the truth is," Albus paused and took a deep breath. His speech sped up. "I didn't mean for it to happen and then I was scared."

Scorpius was torn between wanting to hug Albus and wanting Albus to know he was still mad. He stood up straight, no longer leaning against the desk. His arms moved to his side with his hands in fists. "I still would have liked to know from you."

"I know. I'm sorry." He sounded sincere, and yet Scorpius wasn't satisfied. He couldn't shake his anger.

"I was going to hear it anyways and you knew it." He threw his hands up. "Didn't you think I would have preferred to hear you say you were gay than to have Violet tell me? Violet Parkinson!" He ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a loud breath, before crossing his arms again.

"I don't know what I thought." Albus' voice was small. When he spoke, it tugged at Scorpius' heart and each time, he tried to ignore it.

"Were you scared I would judge you or not want to be your friend?"

"No!" Albus cried, glancing up for a split second. "Well, I don't know," he admitted.

Scorpius frowned. Albus sounded like he truly had been scared to lose him. It hurt that Albus hadn't trusted him. "Are years of friendship not enough to prove that I care about you?" he asked.

"NoÖI mean _yes_."

Scorpius grunted in frustration. He looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath before returning his gaze to Albus. "I don't get it. If you knew you could trust me then how could you have thought that I wouldn't want to be your friend?"

Albus took on a defensive tone. "I wasn't thinking logically," he explained.

"I still wish I had known sooner."

Albus looked up into Scorpius' eyes, his expression stuck between guilt and frustration. His hands had gone still. "I said I wanted to tell you. I'm sorry you didn't hear from me, but I couldn't tell anyone before. Why do you keep coming back to that point?" With every word, his voice grew in strength.

Scorpius felt trapped in Albus' glare like a deer in headlights. He felt the fight drain out of him. "I-I don't know," he stammered, his heart fluttering and his breath catching in his throat.

Albus tilted his head. He placed his hands on the desk on either side of him and started to get up. "I'm going back-"

As soon as Albus' feet touched the floor, Scorpius leaned forward, his forehead bumping Albus'. His heart leapt up into his throat and his stomach burned. Air shuddered in an out of his lungs, brushing Albus' face. His hands lifted to Albus' face of their own accord and Albus tilted his head to capture Scorpius' lips.

Scorpius pressed his body against Albus' while his hands touched his cheeks and his neck and his jaw. He could feel Albus grip his neck in one hand while the other trailed up his arm. His heartbeat resonated through him.

He pulled back to catch his breath but Albus followed his mouth, pushing his face into Scorpius'. Then Albus' lips left his mouth and kissed his cheek. They moved down his jaw and brushed his neck. Scorpius tilted his head back, his fingers digging into Albus' shoulder for balance. He didn't trust his legs.

Albus licked and bit the soft skin of his neck and then silenced Scorpius' groan with a kiss on the lips. Scorpius slid his tongue through Albus' mouth. He bit Albus' bottom lip and ran his tongue along it, releasing a gasp from inside his chest.

They kissed until they heard footsteps in the corridor from the Slytherins making their way to dinner. Scorpius filled his heart with the look in Albus' eyes. He slid his hands down Albus' arms to enlace their fingers and lifted their hands to his chest. Gently, he kissed Albus' knuckles, letting his lips linger on them.

"We should go to dinner," Albus said with a wavering voice. Scorpius nodded.

"I think I wanted to know sooner so that this could have happened sooner," he admitted.

Albus smiled. "Does this make you my first boyfriend?" he asked. He looked hopeful, his eyes widening and his hands squeezing Scorpius'.

"Is that what we are?" Scorpius asked.

"What else could we be? Friends with benefits?"

Scorpius looked horrified and Albus laughed. "There's nothing wrong with the idea," he said.

"For someone else maybe, but us?" Scorpius said, flustered.

Albus' green eyes twinkled. His laugh died down to a half smile that played around his lips. "So we're boyfriends?" he chirped. Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Shall we seal the deal with a kiss?" Scorpius rolled his eyes a second time.

He was stopped by Albus' warm lips on his own, brief but firm. "There." Albus' nose was still touching Scorpius' as he spoke. "Sealed." Scorpius nodded so that their forehead bumped together.

"I don't think I'm ready for the whole school to know," Scorpius said. He knew Albus understood that he meant his family too, both of their families. He didn't want to have to read between the lines of every letter he received from his parents until Christmas. On Albus' side, the Weasleys intimidated Scorpius. He knew they hated his father and he knew why. They didn't necessarily take it out on him, at least not anymore. Nevertheless, there was a certain tension between him and the other Weasleys.

"I know," Albus said, soothing Scorpius with his voice. "We'll disappoint our fans a little longer. They're very perceptive though. They'll probably notice something different in the way we eat out toast or something random like that. That's how they discovered that I was failing transfiguration."

"Al, I get it," Scorpius cut in. "The fans are all-knowing, blah, blah. We just won't confirm anything yet."

Albus beamed and Scorpius couldn't help returning the smile. He freed one hand to take away the spells from the doors, however they each kept one hand in the others until they left the classroom. When they reached the Great Hall, they went mostly unnoticed. Their peers at the Slytherin table had noticed their absence though and some of them were sharing glances.

"Potter news lives on," Albus whispered and Scorpius chuckled. At least this time he knew what it was about from the beginning.


End file.
